Fated
by AmericanWoman
Summary: How far would you go for a second chance? Rated M to be safe
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- All I own of Labyrinth is a DVD. I don't own the rights to the story or characters.**

Sarah slowly became aware of the fact that her friends were giggling behind her. Not just giggling- they were laughing at her. Blushing to the roots of her hair, she turned around, intending to glare at them, but couldn't bring herself to do it. They had every right to giggle at her odd behavior. She'd practically been _staring_ at the man. No, not _practically_. She _had_ been staring.

"Has Sarah Williams _finally_ grown a pulse?" teased Heather. Sometimes she really was too much. "I don't think I've ever seen you get so hot over a guy, Sar. Not that I can blame you." She winked, then waggled her eyebrows at her victim. She was such a clown.

"Can you _shut up_, Heather? People are starting to stare!" Sarah was right. Heather hadn't been speaking so loudly that their classmates could hear what she had said, but her theatrics had drawn attention to the utterly embarrassed expression plastered on Sarah's face.

"Give her a break, dork," Courtney finally said. "I think it's cute. Sarah's actually a woman in there after all". Now Courtney was winking at her too. These two were being insufferable today.

Sarah groaned. "If anybody hears you two, I'm going to kill you both. You've been warned," she threatened, trying her best to give them that withering glare she hadn't been able to deliver before. Her heart wasn't really into it, though. How could she glare properly when her heart still hadn't stopped pounding? She had never experienced anything quite like what had just happened to her. Here she had been, sitting in her photography class at her community college, expecting an easy A for the day. Instead of spending an hour doodling while half listening to a guest speaker lecture the class on his glory days as a photographer for the local paper or some such nonsense, she had been glued to her seat, unable to pry her eyes from his face. Unable to breathe properly. He had the most fascinating eyes. From across the room she really couldn't tell, but they appeared to be two different colors. Where they? She returned her gaze to him, watching as he gathered up the posters he had brought with him and replaced his notes in his portfolio. She had the vague impression that his presentation had actually been interesting, but couldn't remember any of the details for the life of her.

Sarah's face flushed hot as she realized that she'd been caught staring, _again_. By _him_, this time. Could this day get any worse? She jerked her head down, gathered up her own things, and quickly looked over to him before getting up to leave. This time he was already watching her. He flashed her a devilish grin and winked at her. Did he really wink at _her_? No way! Sarah fought the urge to grin herself, and continued on her way to the door, feeling slightly lightheaded. It was the strangest thing. She felt like she had seen him somewhere before, but there was no way she could ever forget someone as fine as he was. Maybe he had appeared in a magazine or something. He had made something of a name for himself, she had gathered.

Suddenly jerked out of her thoughts, Sarah realized that someone was calling her. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw that it was him. Jareth Jones, the guest speaker in her class, was jogging to catch up with her. Looking ahead to where Courtney and Heather where waiting for her, Sarah felt slightly disoriented. They had just caught her studying the man who was now chasing her out of the class. Turning her attention back to the man who was now at her side, she inhaled and said, "Hi."

"Hi," he returned. "Leaving already?"

"Well, class is over…" she answered, and winced inwardly. _What a lame thing to say, Sar, _she thought.

"So it is. Going home now, then?" he asked.

"Actually, my friends and I are going out to lunch now." Sarah's heart was pounding again. She had never felt so odd in her life. Had she? She had the strangest sense of déjà vu standing next to this man.

"Do you think your friends would mind if you went out to lunch with me instead?" Jareth had stopped walking and was now standing in front of Sarah, nervously waiting for her to answer.

"No. We don't mind at all!" Who had said that? Confused, Sarah looked past Jareth to discover where the voice had come from. Heather… Sarah was going to kill her for sure one of these days.

Looking back to his face, she noticed that his eyes were both actually blue. One pupil appeared to be larger than the other. Absently, she wondered why that was. Getting a closer look at him, she saw that he was even better looking up close. Distance usually added appeal to people's appearances in her experience, but this Jareth Jones seemed to be the exception to that rule. Distance actually had a dimming effect on his looks, although the effect wasn't much at that.

"So," he asked. "Is that a yes or a no?"

_Damn_, though Sarah. _Caught staring again._

xxx

Jareth was starting to get nervous. He felt that he had made a complete fool of himself today. He had agreed to give today's little 'presentation' to help out his old buddy Gabe, who taught a little photography course here in town. Gabe was going through the course material a bit too quickly and needed something to stall the class. It wouldn't do to finish too quickly. His students expected the course to end on time and all.

Jareth had helped old Gabe out in similar ways in the past. It was only an hour of his time, and Gabe always invited him home to dinner as a thank you. The way Gabe's wife cooked, Jareth almost felt guilty, like he was getting an unfair advantage in their agreement. Not guilty enough to turn down an invitation to one of Josie's amazing dinners, though. And that was how Jareth had ended up standing in front of this girl, who couldn't be more than a teenager, effectively begging her to go to lunch with him. He hadn't even asked her what her name was! All he knew was that he couldn't let her leave without talking to her. Or, actually, getting her to agree to a date. Lunch would do nicely for the time being.

If she didn't stop staring into his eyes, he wouldn't be responsible for what he did next. It was those eyes that had made him such a wreck during his little show today. How could he concentrate on his speech when all he wanted to do was find out the name of the girl those bright green eyes belonged to? It had been all he could do to remember to breathe in and out. And in and out. He couldn't remember when he had ever been so helpless against a woman's charms. He wasn't sure what it was about her that drew him so strongly to her; he just knew that it was. There was something so familiar about the girl in front of him. He had a strange feeling that he had done this before, with her. Or nearly this. Which was completely ridiculous when he considered that they had never met before.

"Alright," the girl finally responded. "Sounds like fun."

She smiled at him then, and he felt like floating away. She had said yes!

"Great," Jareth said, smiling widely. "Where would you like to go,…" he trailed off, embarrassed that he still didn't know her name.

Laughing, the girl decided to help him out. "Sarah. Sarah Williams" She had the most fascinating smile, as if she held secret worlds behind those laughing eyes. "How about Dania's, across the street?" _Smart girl,_ he thought, and smiled to himself. Dania's was close enough to walk to so there was no need to accept a car ride from him, a stranger after all, but was not the kind of place the student population frequented. They would be able to talk without feeling awkward with the eyes of her classmates on them the whole time. It was also the kind of place that didn't set any standards for future dates. Neither cheap nor expensive, it didn't imply any kind of expectations.

"Good choice, Sarah Williams. Shall we?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer- All I own of Labyrinth is a DVD. I don't own the rights to the story or characters.**

They had barely taken two steps when Jareth stopped in his tracks.

"Sorry. I forgot something. I'll just be a moment." Smiling at Sarah in such a way that, if she had felt any irritation, it would have been forgotten, he turned and went back to the classroom they had just left.

"Gabe!" she heard him call. "How long are you going to be here?" As he listened for the answer, Jareth took his keys out of his pocket. "Well, if you do leave before that, would you mind locking my things in my car? Right. All right. I'll be across the street at Dania's having lunch. All right. See you then."

Shifting from foot to foot, Sarah tried not to eavesdrop on the one side of the conversation she was able to hear, and asked herself what she was doing. She kept hearing half-remembered snippets of a conversation she must have dreamt once. _When you meet the one… meant for you… know it… Don't waste… One day, Sarah…_ It was the same anytime she was asked out. She always had the tiniest flashes of a voice, or maybe the impression of a voice, which seemed to be cautioning her not to waste herself on someone unworthy of her attention. She had always heeded that advice, and refused those who had asked to see her. More than that, she had never been interested in any of the others.

Much to her stepmother's distress, Sarah had never been on a one-on-one date in her life, preferring group outings instead. Her father, at least, hadn't minded. But this time, everything was different. This man seemed different somehow, and yet she was hard put to define exactly what it was that separated him from the others. Certainly he was attractive, but that wasn't the only reason she had agreed to have lunch with him. She had been asked out by attractive men in the past. They, however, had never had this effect on her. She felt as if her whole being was buzzing with some new energy. Her breath came short, her heart beat frantically, and she had an overwhelming sense of anticipation, as if she- no, they- were entering into something huge. _Oh! This is ridiculous! He's just asked you to eat lunch with him; it's not like you're about to go colonize Mars together. Get a grip on yourself, Sar,_ she chastised herself. Still, the feeling of cautious exhilaration didn't fade in the least.

"Sorry about that," Jareth said as he made his way back to her. "Now, what kind of restaurant is this Dania's? I've never been."

"I think it's Lebanese. I don't really remember. We went there once back when I was in high school. Karen, my stepmother, got this idea that my brother and I needed more 'culture' in our lives, so she decided that we should start learning about different countries, and the kinds of foods they eat, and what kinds of clothes they wear. It was interesting while it lasted. For the most part…" she trailed off with a smile.

"Did you not like the food there? Why didn't you eat there again?" Jareth was starting to wonder why Sarah hadn't chosen the McDonald's across from their intended destination.

"No, I did like it. The problem was my father. He doesn't have an adventurous bone in his body, so he asked the waitress if they had anything similar to something Americans usually eat. So she recommended this meatloaf type of dish that had potatoes baked on it. You know, kind of like meatloaf and potatoes? Well, when Daddy cut into the meat with his fork, it was green." At Jareth's startled expression, Sarah laughed again, and Jareth felt his heart leap on hearing it. Continuing with her story, Sarah said, "It was green because they mix parsley in the meat before they bake it. But no matter how many times the poor waitress tried to explain it, Daddy wouldn't touch his plate. I think he ended up eating cheese pastries."

After walking in companionable silence for a few minutes, Jareth opened the door for Sarah to enter the restaurant. Smiling at him again, Sarah stepped through and tried to calm her nerves. She was really doing this. She really _wanted_ to do this. She had sometimes wondered if there was something wrong with her, but now she wondered if there was perhaps something wrong with the guys who had asked her out before. Not that there was anything the matter with them; maybe they had all just been wrong for her. She absently wondered what Karen would think when she heard that she had finally 'taken her advice' and accepted a date from 'a nice young man'.

Worrying her lower lip, Sarah wondered how old Jareth was. She hadn't thought about it before, but he must certainly be quite a bit older than herself. He was at least in his 30's. She hoped her parents wouldn't make an issue of it. In any case, it was only lunch, right? And she was an adult. It wasn't like she was child; Sarah was a responsible, sensible young woman, and her parents had no reason to doubt her judgment. And her judgment told her that the man holding the chair out for her to sit on was more than just a pretty face, and was interested in her for more than just one reason. Not that he wasn't a pretty face, though…

_Stop. staring. at. him. Sar_, she berated herself once again. _He's going to think you're a freak. _

"What do you recommend?" Jareth inquired. He had eaten Middle Eastern food before, but then the menus hadn't been in English, and so he had never learned the names of the foods he'd eaten.

"Karen still talks about their stuffed grape leaves, so I was going to order some of those. Maybe we can share." Sarah focused on the descriptions of the items on the menu she held in her hand in an effort to keep her eyes directed away from the man across from her. It was embarrassing, really, how she couldn't stop looking at him. There was something about him that commanded her attention. Something about him called out to her and she couldn't resist the pull. She could figure it out later. Right now, she needed to make it through lunch without doing something stupid.

The proceeded to order their meal, handed the menus back to the waitress, and sipped on their water as they waited. Sarah discovered that Jareth was a rather successful freelance photographer whose work was focused mainly on nature, and had even won a few awards. Sarah wondered whether 'few' was accurate or he was just being modest. She also learned that he was quite good friends with 'Gabe', her teacher. This surprised her, but on reflection she conceded that she had friends that would probably surprise him.

xxx

Jareth learned that Sarah was actually an English major and was taking Gabe's course as a way to stay busy during the summer. She thought it would be a nice hobby and might help her earn spending money until she had earned her degree. He learned that her parents had divorced when she was a girl and that her mother lived out west with her new husband and family. He wondered how her mother could bear to live so far from her. He imagined it must be quite painful to face each day without seeing the beautiful, animated face before him. Startled at having had that thought, Jareth reminded himself that he had only just met this enchanting girl, and cautioned himself not to get ahead of himself.

Words and fragments of ideas wove patterns through his thoughts as he listened to Sarah outline her educational and career goals for him. _Now, Jareth… find her… take care… chase her away this ti… innocent young girl… sincere and straightforward…_ He had listened to the same speech, or perhaps an echo of a speech, before, in bits and pieces, as it came to him now. It had always served to repel him from the shy smiles and lingering glances his eyes had met. Something about the dark haired girl he was now listening to was different. Obviously, he had seen her staring at him at the college, and noticed how diligently she had _not_ stared at him since they had arrived at Dania's, but there was such an honest, open air about her that he couldn't help but find it endearing. He wondered if she felt the same way about him as he felt about her. He could barely take his eyes away from hers, and it wasn't because of her beauty, although she certainly had more than her share of that. It had more to do with her as a whole, which was a bit confusing as he had just met her. Perhaps his soul had merely recognized a kindred spirit is hers.

The plates came and went, and the two hardly noticed the time pass. Sarah now sat drinking her mint tea, as Jareth drank an oddly scented brown liquid in a small cup with no handles. Except that it was too small, the cup itself resembled Chinese or Japanese tea cup, but the drink it held was certainly not tea. She had watched as the waitress poured it out for him, and had noticed grains of something escape the carafe the woman had held.

Sarah felt an odd stirring within her as she watched him consume the strange drink. As his smiling lips curved around the rim of the cup, she caught herself just before she opened her own mouth. _Oh, to be that cup_. Surprised at herself, she struggled to get a grip before she made her thoughts plain to everyone in the dining area. _Jealous of a tea cup, Sar,_ she scolded. _You've reached a new low._ Looking up, she met the amused eyes of her companion. Busted. She was sure by his expression that he had a fairly good idea what she had been thinking. Trying desperately to charm her way out of this new predicament, she asked, "Didn't you order coffee?"

Not deceived in the slightest, but in the interest of preserving the girl's illusion that damage control was still a viable outcome, Jareth answered, "This is Arabic coffee. I had it when I was on an assignment in Jordan once."

"Is it good?" Sarah ventured. What _a stupid question. He just ordered it, didn't he?_

"It's vile. I'm told it's an acquired taste, but it seems to one I'm not going to acquire," he said, looking down into the small cup. Sarah's laugh was music to his ears, and as he met her gaze, he thought that he would surely be willing to do far worse things to himself if only to please her and hear that sound again.

"Then why did you order it?" She was genuinely interested in his answer.

Sheepishly ducking his head before he answered, he replied, "I wanted to see if it was as bad as I remembered." Setting the cup and the remaining coffee on the table, he looked back to Sarah. "It is."

If the waitress hadn't brought the check at that moment, they might have continued to chat about other topics, but looking at his watch Jareth realized that they had been together much longer than he had imagined. Reluctantly, Jareth paid the check and prepared to walk Sarah to her car in the college parking lot. He wished they could spend more time together, but he had to get his keys back from Gabe before he left with them. He had promised to bring them to Jareth if he couldn't wait for him, but knowing Gabe, it was better to go back now. And so, with many regrets, Jareth led Sarah away from the site of his first date with Sarah Williams. If he had his way, it was going to be the first of many. Many, many.

Checking himself, Jareth clasped his hands behind his back. Good lord; what was wrong with him? He had been about to take the girl's hand in his own. This Sarah definitely had an interesting effect on him. He wouldn't have believed it himself if he hadn't felt the disappointment crash through him as he averted his hand from the path it was taking. He couldn't remember the last time he had denied himself something he had wanted as badly.

xxx

Sarah was disappointed herself, and felt more than a little foolish. She had actually thought that Jareth was going to hold her hand as they crossed the street. That was completely ridiculous, of course. It was a little early for that, wasn't it? They hadn't even discussed a second date yet, and here she was wishing they were holding hands. _You're really a silly romantic girl, do you know that?_ Sarah was starting to wonder how well she really knew herself. She had always thought of herself as a romantic girl in the past, but as she grew older and never felt particularly romantic about any of the boys at her high school or college, she had reasoned that she must not be. She had felt all the stirrings of new love and broken hearts and yearning for that which could never be as she read her novels and watched her favorite movies, of course. She had just never experienced such things in her daily life. As she turned to thank Jareth for taking her to lunch, she wondered if it wasn't time to reevaluate herself. Surely the flutters she was feeling now meant something.

"This is my car," she began, as they reached the champagne colored compact. "Thanks for walking me back. Thank you for everything, actually. I had a very nice time with you."

Jareth was elated. Leaving the contemplation of the deeper meaning of the phrase 'with you' until a later time, he answered, "So did I. I'd like to do it again some time if you'd like." Holding his breath as he waited for her response, he felt more apprehension than he would have suspected.

"That would be nice." Sarah wished she could exhale as deeply as she needed to. Relief like she could never have known she would feel flooded through her. She had worried that Jareth would decide that she was a simpering, insignificant young college girl who was not a good match for a man of his stature. He was, after all, an award wining, fairly well known man who had seen parts of the world she surely never would. She had thought that she must seem rather boring in comparison. Sarah had felt rather sad as those thoughts had occurred to her, but it was all forgotten now. He was asking if she was interested in seeing him again!

The two exchanged phone numbers and parted ways, resolving to themselves not to let the other forget about them. Jareth would definitely call Sarah the next day, and Sarah would think of an excuse to call him the day after next if he failed to do so. Minds made up, they continued on their ways and tried to recall every clever word that passed the other's lips, and every bewitching facial expression or captivating gesture they had seen while they were still fresh memories.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer- All I own of Labyrinth is a DVD. I don't own the rights to the story or characters.**

Six years ago…

_Jareth felt terribly conflicted as he slowly lowered himself to the ground. On the one hand, he had known all along that she wouldn't stay. He admired and respected her for it, but it hurt nonetheless. Perhaps Sarah hadn't understood the full extent of what he had offered her, but doubtless she knew that every last wish she could ever have would have had would have been fulfilled. And she had chosen her brother over all of that regardless. He felt a surge of pride that the woman he loved had acted with honor. _

_Yes, she was a woman-albeit a very immature woman who still needed time to grow up. She hadn't been ready to face the truth of that fact yet, and that may have been part of the reason she had turned him down. Only part, as he very well knew. She would never have chosen her dreams over her baby brother's well being. That thought would normally have made Jareth smirk- the very idea that he would have turned the child into a goblin! Such things were quite impossible, as he could easily have informed the girl, if only she had asked. As it was, it was much more entertaining to let the girl run wild in her assumptions and believe as she would. Or, it had been._

_Jareth somehow managed to sigh. Was it possible to sigh when you couldn't even breathe? He had been _so sure_ that this girl was destined for him. He still was, actually. But she was still so young, and she still thought like a young girl when it came to men. Sarah had not yet opened her eyes to what a man could offer a woman, but he was sure he had seen the spark of interest flickering to life behind those sage green eyes of hers. The eyes that he could still see quite clearly when he closed his own, though she and her brother had been returned safely home. _

_Jareth rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes. He felt absolutely exhausted. And yet, what wouldn't he give, even now, to bring that delicate spark of desire to a blazing flame? He would have loved every last second of teasing and tempting her, confusing and provoking her, driving her to distraction, making her slowly realize that she couldn't live without him any more than he could live without her. _

_Jareth was certain that he still could- given her cooperation, of course. But would she cooperate? Had she, with her childish outlook on life, cast him permanently in the role of fairytale villain? He surely hadn't done much to discourage such thoughts during her stroll through his labyrinth. _

_Jareth cursed himself for his mischievous character. Why had he toyed with her so often? He had been unable to resist doing so- had come to life in the girl's presence. He knew he had seen that same passion for a challenge in Sarah's eyes. They brought each other to life. Had Sarah realized that? Or had she mistaken their charged banter for true animosity? _

_This was just so frustrating! It was completely impossible to know what was going on in the girl's mind now. Jareth supposed he could ask Higgle. His face distorted in distaste as he thought of Sarah's precious _friend_. He had never paid the dwarf much attention until Sarah's arrival, but it absolutely galled him how the girl had poured her trust, friendship, and affections into the wretch. And why? Because the greedy little miscreant had been awed by her worthless plastic bracelet and had agreed to help her through the labyrinth. Granted, there was no plastic in the Goblin Kingdom, but the scab should have recognized it as almost completely without value. He had spent his youth mining for precious jewels, after all. Perhaps he was starting to go senile… Jareth snorted. His love had accepted a greedy, senile old dwarf's friendship and had rejected a king's heart._

_And still, if she had forsaken her brother to such a terrible fate (as she had thought), and agreed to stay at his expense, she would have fallen irrevocably from the pedestal his love had placed her upon._

_Jareth rose to his feet. This was thoroughly pointless. He was going nowhere with his brooding. This would not bring her back to him, and he feared that he could not go to her after the way things had ended between them. The girl was no doubt standing watch over her beloved sibling, guarding him against evil goblin kings. He could understand how she must feel. He was to blame for the fear she must harbor for him. He may have had no choice but to fulfill her wish, but he certainly was answerable for the way in which he had done so. _

_No matter. There was no time for dwelling on past mistakes. Now was the time for setting things right. There was only one thing to do. He had to go to Aliyah. She would know how to correct this, and he was ninety percent certain she would help him. Transforming into his owl form, he grimaced as he wondered what she would want in return…_

xxx

Jareth slowly returned to consciousness, kept his breathing even, and resisted the urge to open his eyes. He knew that he had only a short time to hold on to his dream. What did it mean? He knew that every night he dreamed of the same event, that it varied slightly sometimes, and that every day his dream faded before he got out of bed. He would only remember that he had dreamt of something important- the key to his past, and the reason he couldn't remember it, in fact. He had been to so many doctors over the years. None could explain his amnesia. With no physical trauma at all, and no clues to go on, they had unfailingly attributed it to emotional trauma, a conclusion that left Jareth caught somewhere between annoyance and amusement.

All he knew was that he had found himself alone in a hotel in Denver, Colorado back in 1983, with a car, a camera, a healthy bank account, and no idea who he was or what he was doing there. He had had his ID; a quick check at the police station had confirmed his identity. He had learned that he had recently sold a cabin in Wisconsin, but had been born in Chicago in 1946. Maybe it was his vanity, - Jareth was by no means a humble man- but he somehow couldn't believe that he was really forty-six years old. He certainly didn't look old enough to be a grandfather, and the women who daily tried to catch his eye didn't seem to think so, either.

As gratifying as their apparent approval of his appearance had always been, he had never seriously considered taking any of them up on their invitations- which ranged from timid offers of cups of coffee to the more bold offers of nightcaps (followed by breakfast in bed).

Jareth supposed he should have felt lonely, and, in a way, he was. But that loneliness was tempered by the knowledge that he was not alone in this world. There was no record of his ever having been married, he had no children or any known relatives, but he had known without a doubt that he had a love waiting for him to find her. Her eyes, which had usually slipped from his memory by now, had made an appearance in his dreams nightly, without fail. Sarah's eyes, he realized with a start!

His eyes flew open as the realization hit him. He remembered seeing her in his dream! She had been a bit younger, but it was definitely her. How was that possible? He had no memory of ever having seen her before yesterday, and she hadn't given any indication that she had recognized him, either. The possibility- no, confirmation- that it had been Sarah haunting his dreams for the past nine years didn't even take her age into consideration. She would have been about ten years old at the time his memories all originated from, judging by her looks. She had been about fifteen or sixteen in his dream.

This was maddening- none of it made any sense! The more he thought it over, the more certain he was that Sarah had somehow won his heart long ago. That explained his near panic when she had walked out of Gabe's classroom, and nearly out of his life, yesterday. It explained the surge of unchecked love he had felt for the girl he had thought he had never met before. It explained his elation when she accepted his invitation to lunch. It explained the sense of triumph he felt as he watched her struggle to rein in her obviously strong attraction to him. It explained so much, and was completely impossible at the same time.

No. Jareth smiled. Nothing was impossible with Sarah. He didn't know _how_ he knew, but he knew with every fiber of his being that this girl could make the impossible come to pass. Already, his dream had faded to half- remembered feelings of despair over love lost and stubborn determination to reclaim it, but Sarah's face remained. She was already proving his theory to be correct.

Glancing over at his alarm clock, he wondered if 7:12 AM was too early to call her…

xxx

**AN: Took me long enough, didn't it? ;) My schedule is crazy these days and updating will be erratic. Updates will come though, barring acts of God. I just wanted to point out two things. One, I didn't make a mistake with the dates. Two, you got that right- Jareth appears to be American… right down to the accent. LOL Don't despair- DB's lovely accent is not gone forever. (And really, half of this fandom seems to think this is **_**really**_** a DB fandom. Am I right? Or am I right?)**

**Also, I'm _very_ sorry I didn't respond to the reviews for the last chapter. Each one brought a smile to my face and made my day brighter!**

**BTW- I wonder if anyone can guess how my Jareth acquired his fam****ily name…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer- All I own of Labyrinth is a DVD. I don't own the rights to the story or characters. I don't own any of the songs or movies mentioned in this chapter.**

Sarah was floating on air Saturday morning. She wanted to get out of the house. Karen was slowly driving her absolutely mad with her many inquiries regarding Jareth Jones. Heather and Courtney had been kind enough to wait for Sarah at her house, and had filled Karen in on Sarah's lunch date.

Karen was every bit the proud mother ready for her girl to find love and happiness. True, she wasn't Sarah's natural mother, but she had raised Sarah from the time she was seven years old and loved her every bit as much as any mother could. Sarah returned that love. They had had a rough few years when Sarah was a teenager, but after a particularly nasty argument one night when Sarah had been _forced_ to baby-sit her brother, things had calmed down. The girl had seemingly grown up overnight. Life had been much easier in the Williams home ever since.

Still, her attempts to squeeze out the details from Sarah were straining. Karen was the last person Sarah wanted to dish with, their close relationship aside. Karen had pushed a little bit too hard during Sarah's high school years. The last straw had been when Karen had explained to Sarah that she loved her unconditionally, and would completely understand if she didn't feel that she would find her soul mate among the _boys_ at her school. That there was absolutely no reason for her to remain alone if her interests lay in another direction. That she would _always_ be there for her if… Mortified, Sarah had decided then and there to close that door and leave Karen to her delusions- whatever they were.

Understandably, Sarah was not looking forward to the barrage of questions awaiting her downstairs. What should she do? Go for a walk? Go hang out with her friends? Go to the library? What if Jareth called? She would be so disappointed if she missed his call. Looking at her clock, she saw that it was not yet ten. He wouldn't call for quite a while, if he _did _call. He would call, wouldn't he? He had to! She had felt such a connection to him from the first moment she had seen him. She had only had lunch with him, the same day she had met him, and already she felt like he was the kind of man she could really fall for. Hard. She was at least halfway there already. She felt deliriously happy and absolutely terrified all at once. She had recently started to wonder if she were broken somehow; why else would she have absolutely no interest in dating? Now she thought that perhaps she was just a late bloomer. A really late bloomer, she thought with a smile. Or maybe she had just needed someone like Jareth to get her attention. And, boy had he ever.

xxx

Jareth walked through his front door and threw his keys in a dish on the table by the entrance. Looking up, he saw that it was time to start preparing his lunch. Reaching the kitchen, he contemplated the contents of his refrigerator.

After his shower, he had gone for a walk. The nervous energy he had felt after his discovery was too much for him. If he had stayed home, he would have been tempted to call his Sarah, most likely waking her up, and he didn't want to come on too strong just yet. It would not do to scare her off. The intensity of his feelings frightened _him_; how would they affect her? He had spent the morning sorting out his dream. He had no doubt that the dream had been inspired by an event from his past. Perhaps it was something that had happened to them in a former life. He had always dismissed 'past lives' as nonsense, but now he wondered if it were possible. It made more sense than the idea that he had met a teenage Sarah ten years ago, in a place he had never, to his knowledge, been to. Did such places even exist? The room had seemed to be floating- or had the walls been floating? Frustrated, Jareth sighed. How could he be so sure that it had really happened? He just was, he supposed.

And Sarah had been glaring at him in the most appealing way in his impossible dreamscape. It made him smile to think of it now. It reminded him of a young kitten growling, trying to be intimidating. And at the same time, his heart ached to think that she would feel the need to do that. What had happened to them? What had he done to her to make her look at him like that? What had she done to him to leave him feeling so desolate? He had felt as if he had been through hell, for her sake, and was being cast aside despite that. Yet he didn't feel angry or bitter. He only felt defeated, tired. As though he had failed himself- lost something precious and didn't know how to get it back, or if it were even possible.

Deciding not to dwell on things that couldn't be explained at present, he decided on a turkey sandwich and pop, and decided that he would call Sarah as soon as he finished eating. And then he would take a nap.

xxx

Sarah jumped when the phone rang. Every time it rang, she held her breath expecting to be called to the phone- and every time that didn't happen, she felt more disappointed and discouraged. It was silly, and she knew it, but she couldn't help feeling that way. She had resolved to call Jareth tonight if he didn't call her during the day, but now she was losing her nerve. How would she ever find the nerve to pick up the phone and call him? She would freeze. She would flounder and make things awkward. She had never called a guy for anything that wasn't work or school related before. How on Earth was she going to do this? What would she say, anyway? Would she ask him out or wait for him to make the first move? If he didn't ask her, she would feel like an idiot. But if he did want to go out with her, she wouldn't have to call him in the first place- he would call her. Wouldn't he?

Exasperated, Sarah rose to her feet and reached for her jacket. She would go for a walk after all. Sitting around the house was making her a wreck. She was slightly surprised by the fact that she was getting so worked up over a guy, but, she thought with a sly smile- this wasn't just _any_ guy. Allowing herself a moment to relive her favorite part of her date with Jareth, she closed her eyes and leaned against her door frame. Pulling her jacket tightly around herself, she thought back to the moments after they had completed their meal and sat at the table, leaning towards each other over their hot drinks, explaining to each other where they had been all their lives. She wondered if he had been as fascinated with her as she had been with him. _Not likely_, she snorted. Pushing herself away from the door, she pulled her hair out of the back of her windbreaker and started to make her way downstairs. Looking across the hallway, she saw that Karen was still on the phone. _Good_, Sarah thought. She'll be too busy to pester me.

"I'm going for a walk, Karen," Sarah called. "I won't be gone long."

"Alright, dear," Karen returned. Then, seeming embarrassed, she started. "No! Sarah, wait. This call is for you."

Confused, Sarah reached for the phone. Karen had been talking for several minutes already. She quickly tried to determine who she could have been talking to for so long. It was summer now, so it wasn't anyone from school. Her friends wouldn't spend so much time on the phone with Karen. Her mother didn't get along with Karen. They were just too different. Taking a deep breath- she didn't like the excited gleam in Karen's eye- she brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she asked nervously.

"Sarah?" It was Jareth! Sarah felt herself flush and avoided Karen's eyes. Why was she standing there, wringing her hands in that horrible, gleeful way of hers! She was making Sarah nervous.

"Yes, it's me. How are you?" she answered distractedly. She scanned the hallway looking for a way to make this call a bit more private. Why had her father always refused to put a line in her room? This was terrible.

"I'm fine, thank you. Is this a bad time?" Deciding that her best option was to try and chase Karen off, she turned to her and raised her eyebrows.

"No! It's not a bad time at all." Karen wasn't taking the hint. Sarah started to playfully shoo her away with her hands, and she finally went off. She loved her to death, but sometimes that woman was insufferable.

"Are you sure? I can call back later if you're busy now." Jareth sounded a bit less cheerful than he had a moment ago.

"No, no. That's not necessary. I was just getting rid of my audience," Sarah laughed, "There's nothing worse than having a conversation with someone standing there listening to every word."

Jareth laughed, seeming at ease again. "You mean Karen? She seems like a very nice woman. Very concerned about your welfare."

"Oh, God!" Sarah groaned. "What did she say? I heard the phone ring; she had time to say a lot more than, 'I'll see if Sarah's available.'"

Jareth laughed again. "Actually, she invited me over for dinner tomorrow night. I was about to answer when she got off."

"And what answer were you going to give her?" Sarah nervously worried her bottom lip as she waited for his answer.

"I was going to accept. If you don't mind, that is."

"No, no, no. Of course not! It'll be great." Sarah smiled at the thought of having Jareth over. Then frowned as she imagined Karen hovering over them while her father watched silently from his armchair. They wouldn't do that to her, would they? "So, what did you call for, originally? It seems that we got sidetracked."

"Actually, I called to ask if you'd like to go out with me. I know it's not generally acceptable to ask someone out on such short notice, but I thought you might forgive me considering how we've only just met." Sarah could almost hear his smile over the phone.

"Maybe just this once," she teased. She may not have dated, as a rule, but Sarah didn't want Jareth to think she had no life. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, since tomorrow night has been claimed by your stepmother, would you like to do something today?"

Sarah thought it over. She had plans this evening with Heather and Courtney. They were going out together to watch a movie, then head back to Courtney's place for banana splits. But she really wanted to go out with Jareth. Then again, she didn't want to seem like she was so desperate for a date that she'd drop everything the minute he called. She'd seen how that had worked out for her friends, and the results had never been favorable.

"I'll tell you what, Jareth. I already have plans for tonight, but I was just about to go for a walk. If you'd like to join me, I'll be at Lakeside Park in about ten minutes. Do you know where that is?" There. She was being flexible without seeming pathetic. Right?

"That sounds perfect. I'll see you there," Jareth replied.

"Great," Sarah grinned. "I'll see you there."

After they had said their good-byes, Sarah set the receiver down, and started when she saw Karen standing in the doorway, tears in her eyes, smiling at her.

"God, Karen. You scared me. How long have you been standing there?"

Karen just shook her head and turned back to the kitchen.

"She is being so weird," Sarah mumbled to herself. "He said yes!" she called over her shoulder as she passed through the front door.

xxx

Jareth hung up and looked in the mirror on his way out to the car. If he drove, he could meet Sarah just as she arrived at the park. He was impatient to see her again. If she had plans for later today, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible while she was still free. Frowning, he wondered exactly what kind of plans she had. Was it a date? Today was Saturday, after all. No, she didn't seem like the kind of girl who would agree to see him if she already had a boyfriend. And then there was the matter of her stepmother inviting him over tomorrow night. Relaxing, he slid into the front seat, strapped in, and turned on the radio. "Achy Breaky Heart" blared out of the speakers. Grimacing, he changed the channel. "Bohemian Rhapsody" was just beginning on the next of his programmed channels. _Thank God for "Wayne's World", _he thought. It was a silly movie, but at least it had a decent soundtrack.

xxx

Sarah was rigid with anticipation as she neared the park. She felt almost giddy, wishing she could skip the rest of the way. What an impression_ that_ would make. She giggled as she thought of the looks that would get her. As a girl, people had thought she was a bit strange, and if she were honest with herself, she had enjoyed it. She had always thought that 'normal' was boring, and had enjoyed the attention it had gotten her. After her mother had moved out of state with her stepfather, Sarah had felt forgotten. By that time, her father bad been getting pretty serious about Karen. Not feeling 'special' to anyone anymore, Sarah had settled for 'weird'. And she had convinced herself that she didn't mind- convinced herself that she didn't need anyone. She had really needed to feel that she didn't need anyone. And then, something had changed. Suddenly, she was a well-adjusted teen with close friends and a happy family life.

Resisting the urge to twirl around or do anything else that would be considered inappropriate, she scanned the park for Jareth. When she didn't see him, she walked over to a bench, sat, and waited. She wondered how he would look today. Would he have his hair tied back like it was in class, or would it be free today? Odd that she found his hair so appealing. She had never liked long hair on men, but she found herself itching to run her fingers through his. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself a moment to imagine herself doing just that.

A polite cough broke through her reverie, and Sarah opened her eyes to see Jareth standing before her. Her breath hitched in her throat seeing him looking down at her like that. She wondered when he had arrived. It couldn't have been long. She had only just sat down. She smiled and greeted him.

Jareth returned her greeting, and then shook a finger at her. "I gave up my nap to meet here, and here I find you sleeping on a park bench." He shook his head as if chastising her, but the glint in his eye told her that he was teasing.

"I wasn't sleeping! And you don't seem like the kind of man who needs an afternoon nap, anyway. Do you always nap in the afternoon?" Sarah asked, challenging him. Two could play at this game.

"Cruel girl," Jareth returned. "No, I don't _always_ nap away my afternoons. I woke up early today and spent the morning walking around town. I had my camera with me and got some nice shots, I think. I'll have to develop them to be sure, of course, but all in all, it was a pretty busy morning."

"It sounds that way," Sarah said. "So you spent all morning walking around and then gave up your nap to come walk around some more with me?" She smiled at him, noticing for the first time that he really did look tired. Something in his eyes looked weary. "We could just sit here and talk, if you'd like," she offered.

"No. I think it would be better to keep moving. Besides, you came here for a walk," he said, holding his hand out to her.

Nervously, Sarah took his hand, noticing how gently he held hers as he helped her to her feet. Not that she _needed_ the help, but she wasn't about to decline any show of chivalry from him. Releasing his hand, she found that she liked being treated like a lady. It was nice change from the usual come-ons and stupid pick-up lines she received from the boys at school.

Shyly glancing over at her companion, Sarah was once again struck by his presence. She could get used to this. Smiling to herself, she turned her attention to her surroundings. They were nearing a group of picnickers out taking advantage of the cool weather. It had been a relatively hot summer, and the park was busier than usual. It seemed that everyone wanted to take advantage while it lasted.

xxx

Jareth noticed a few young men giving Sarah approving looks and decided he didn't like it at all. Impulsively, he reached over and pushed a tendril of her hair behind her ear. "What are you thinking about?" he asked innocently._ There_, he thought_. That ought to make it clear enough. Idiots._

"Me?" Sarah squeaked. "I was just thinking about how much this place has changed since I was a girl. I used to come here and I would be the only one around most of the time."

"So you used to have the whole place to yourself?" The idiots had turned back to their sandwiches and were no longer ogling Sarah. Jareth smiled, satisfied.

"Not quite. Merlin usually came along."

"Who is Merlin?" Jareth asked. "A friend?" He couldn't quite keep the jealous edge out of his voice.

"A very good friend. He's been my best friend since I was ten years old." Sarah's eyes danced merrily as she toyed with her new friend. "He used to patiently watch as I acted out my favorite stories. He played the parts needed to make the characters I took work. He was the hero, the villain, the kindly benefactor. He was pretty amazing, considering…"

"Considering…" Jareth looked a bit uneasy as he took in this new information.

Laughingly openly, Sarah continued. "Mmm- hmm. Yes, he was a good actor, but sometimes I wondered if it was worth all the books he chewed through."

As comprehension swept over Jareth's features, he cast a wicked grin Sarah's way. Her insides turned to jelly and the smile slipped from her lips. How was he able to do that to her? One look was enough to stop her breath in her throat, and turn her inside out. Swallowing hard, she turned her attention to the swans skimming the surface of the lake.

"Are you trying to make me jealous, Sarah?" Jareth's voice had taken on a darker quality. It sent a wave of… something… something unfamiliar, but definitely pleasurable, through Sarah.

"What makes you think that?" Sarah returned, feeling a bit hoarse for some reason.

"I have no idea," he answered, stopping at a bridge spanning a narrow portion of the lake. Walking to the middle of the bridge, he leaned forward, his forearms crossed over the edge.

Sarah watched him for a moment before walking over to his side, leaning back against the wall of the bridge so that she was facing him. Not knowing where her forwardness came from, she took the tie out of his hair and watched as his hair fanned out over his shoulders. "That is so not fair," she whined.

"What's not fair?" Jareth asked, laughing confusedly.

"Whenever I take my hair out of a ponytail, I get a weird crease in it. Your hair still looks perfect!" Blushing at her comment, she fiddled with the ponytail holder in her hand and turned to face the water.

Sensing Sarah's unease, Jareth changed the subject. "What are your plans for the evening?"

"Oh, I'm going to a movie with my friends. We're going to watch 'Batman Returns'. Courtney's been dying to see it," she answered. Whispering, she continued, "She's in love with Michael Keaton."

"I see," Jareth smiled. "Is this a regular thing?"

"No. Heather's boyfriend just joined the Army and is off at boot camp. The three of us are going out to try and cheer her up. Heather and Courtney are the two girls that agreed to our lunch date on my behalf yesterday," Sarah said, returning his smile.

"Yes, I remember," Jareth said. "Do you have any plans for next Saturday?"

"Wow. You move fast," Sarah thought out loud. "Not yet," she answered him.

"Good. I wouldn't want to miss out again. Would you join me for a real date then?"

Sarah's insides folded in on themselves again at his question. Maybe he _was_ as into her as she was into him. This was definitely encouraging. "I think I'd like that."

"Great." He held his arm out to her and led her back to the path they had been walking before.

The sky became overcast as they continued, and Jareth offered Sarah a ride home.

"I need to know where you live, anyway. I wouldn't want to be late for dinner because I couldn't find your house."

Sarah groaned as she remembered her stepmother's teary farewell when she had left earlier.

"Is something wrong," Jareth asked. Furrowing his brow, he searched her face for the reason she seemed to be so unhappy all of a sudden.

_Well, he's going to find out sooner or later_, Sarah reasoned. _I may as well tell him now._ Taking a deep breath, Sarah began. "Nothing's wrong. I have to tell you, though- tomorrow night may be awkward. I've never dated in the past, and Karen is a little too excited right now. I'm dreading what she's going to say and how she's going to act. I love her dearly, but she's been making me crazy since I went home yesterday. Oh my God. She's going to interrogate you." Looking over to meet Jareth's laughing eyes, Sarah relaxed a little.

"Is that all?" he asked. "Well, don't worry about it. To tell the truth, I don't date either."

"You're kidding," Sarah said, her voice flat.

"About?" Jareth asked.

"How can you be serious? You don't date, either? But you're completely… nevermind," Sarah flushed as she caught herself. A bit too late, but she had caught herself. _You're completely gorgeous and interesting, and have a great personality, and I'm still dying to reach over and run my fingers through that soft looking hair of yours. _

"Some of us just have more discerning tastes," he winked at her.

xxx

Jareth told Sarah to wait while he got his umbrella out of the trunk of his car. It had started to rain on their way to Sarah's house, and he wouldn't hear of it when Sarah tried to give her good-byes and walk alone to her door. Finding the umbrella and opening it for her, Jareth opened Sarah's door and offered his hand to her. She gladly accepted and walked with him to her porch. They stood there, reluctant to leave each other's company, when the sweet strains of a familiar tune reached Sarah's ears. She smiled brightly and said, "I love this song! I haven't heard this in such a long time."

_My eyes adored you_

_Though I never laid a hand on you_

_My eyes adored you_

Jareth grinned broadly. This was perfect.

_Like a million miles away from me you couldn't see how I adored you_

_So close_

_So close and yet so far_

He held out a hand to her. "May I have this dance?"

"Here?" Sarah looked around to see if anyone was around. Looking through the front windows, she saw her father dancing Karen around the living room as Toby sat coloring in his Ninja Turtles coloring book.

"I'd love to," she finally answered. He'd been afraid she'd refuse for a moment.

Resting the umbrella on the porch railing, Jareth led Sarah into a slow dance. "Are you a big Frankie Valli fan?"

Sarah laughed. "Not particularly. But I love this song. It's very sweet."

"It's sad," Jareth frowned. "I prefer happy endings." With that, he picked up the pace and spun her around until she was laughing and dizzy and clinging to him to keep her balance. When he leaned her back into a dip, Sarah lost control and laughed merrily, seeming to no longer care that they must look crazy dancing on her doorstep in the now pouring rain.

A small giggle broke Jareth's concentration away from the beauty in his arms, and he looked up to see a small boy watching them from the window. Looking up a bit more, he saw an unnaturally joyful woman watching along with him. Standing behind the woman, with his hand around her waist, was a man who could only be Sarah's father.

"Jareth? I'm getting dizzy," Sarah whispered below him.

"Oh! Of course," Jareth said, it now being his turn to feel uncomfortable. Setting her on her feet, he straightened his back and turned to the family opening the door for him.

xxx

"Dad, Karen, Toby- this is Jareth. Jareth, this is Dad, Karen, and Toby!" Sarah indicated each person as she named them. "He's just bringing me home from the park." She nervously gestured to the rain, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. Karen had that overzealous gleam about her again.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Jareth began. "Sarah has plans for the evening, so I'll be on my way. I hope to see all of you again tomorrow."

"Five o'clock sharp!" Karen interjected.

"I can't wait," Jareth smiled. Then he turned to Sarah and wished her a pleasant evening with her friends.

xxx

After he drove off, Sarah noticed that he had forgotten his umbrella. Smiling, she walked over to the railing and took it in her hands. He had made such a fuss over her and then left it behind when he needed it.

"He seems like a very nice man, Sarah." Damn. Sarah had forgotten all about Karen, hovering over her like the patron saint of spinsters given second chances. She tried not to roll her eyes. Karen was only acting crazy because she loved her. Sarah repeated that to herself a few times.

"Yes, he does," Sarah answered. "I have to get ready now before Courtney comes to pick me up." Sarah tried to move past her, but Karen reached out and took her arm, stopping her progress.

"You really like him, don't you, Sarah?"

Something in her eyes was so earnest that Sarah's defenses dropped briefly. Smiling down at her surrogate mother's face, she said, "Yes. I do." With that, she ran upstairs to collect herself before her friends arrived.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer- All I own of Labyrinth is a DVD. I don't own the rights to the story or characters.**

Sarah jolted when the doorbell rang. She was nervous for a few reasons: She was eager to see Jareth again, Karen's overzealous interest in her new 'beau' was fraying her nerves, she was afraid of how her family would treat Jareth- she had never gone through this before, and she was unsure exactly how to conduct herself. Karen had put her in a very difficult position. She hadn't known Jareth very long and had to try to get to know him with her family present. She was very attracted to him as well, and would have preferred to come to terms with that before involving her family. And then there was the fact that having him meet her family implied that they were in a serious relationship- and they hadn't even had their first official date yet! At least Jareth hadn't seemed to read too much into Karen's invitation.

Wiping her clammy hands on her jeans, she raced Karen to the front door, desperately trying to appear not to be doing so. Judging by the knowing wink Karen gave her, she hadn't succeeded. Taking one last peek in the mirror on the wall of the front hallway, and smoothing her hair back, she continued and opened the door. Her heart seemed to stop for a brief moment as she looked up at her guest. Jareth wore a soft looking, deep green button-up shirt which was left unbuttoned a few inches at the throat. Over that, he wore a light jacket, a concession to the unseasonably cool weather. The amber color brought out the lovely lowlights in his hair that she hadn't noticed before. Greeting him, she invited him inside and moved aside to allow him to pass, taking the opportunity to notice how well he looked in his black slacks.

Karen immediately began fawning over him, treating him like a long-lost son, which was terribly odd to Sarah when she considered that she and Jareth must be about the same age. That thought gave her pause, but then she looked back to Jareth and noticed how intently he was regarding her. How was it that he need only _look_ at her to throw her insides into chaos? It couldn't be normal. Then again, nothing about Jareth seemed merely _normal_. He was definitely not your run-of-the-mill boyfriend.

_Hold on, Sarah_, she thought. _Slow down. Wait until we're officially dating before thinking of him as a boyfriend!_

After following Karen into the family room, Jareth sat in the chair she indicated and complimented her choices in décor. In truth, he thought the room a bit too 'homey', but overall it had a comfortable feeling. There was no television in sight, but there was a bookshelf filled with books of various genres. There were biographies, histories, volumes of poetry, and novels of all kinds. He was pleased to notice that quite a few were fantasy novels. He had a secret penchant for them himself, and hoped they were Sarah's. He would enjoy discussing that topic with her. There were also several westerns, which he didn't particularly care for, romance novels, and historical fictions. He assumed that the cookbooks must be Karen's, and the small storybooks Toby's.

Noticing Jareth's interest in the bookshelf, Karen offered him a tour of the room. Rising to follow her lead, he took a closer look at the novels, and discussed his favorite books with her, and turned to Sarah to ask which her favorites were. Smiling, happy to be remembered after Karen had thoughtlessly commandeered Jareth's attention in her eagerness to make him feel welcome, Sarah pulled a few of her favorite books from the shelves and gave brief descriptions of them. She was more than a little surprised to learn that he had read several of them and was familiar with most of the others.

"I specialize in nature photography. I spend a lot of time outdoors, alone, and books help pass the time," he informed her, flicking through a book Sarah had handed him. "I enjoy it, of course, or I wouldn't have stayed in this line of work, but it does get lonely at times. I always make sure to pack more books than I'll need."

Karen led them on to her display case. Jareth knew immediately that it must be Karen's; it was stuffed full of figurines and dolls wearing crocheted dresses. The dolls were adorned in dresses of various colors, mostly pastels. A few brightly colored ones were the only thing that saved it from looking like a bag of cotton balls.

"I make these in my free time," Karen informed him, indicating the shelves holding the ruffled monstrosities. "I sell them at our church bazaars." Smiling, she pointed out the features that made each one unique, and made sure he knew that each piece was an original.

After leading the way over to the family pictures displayed on the last remaining wall of interest, Karen left to check on dinner. Jareth laughed as Sarah let out a sigh of relief.

"She's a charming woman," Jareth said. "It's obvious that she cares a great deal about all of you."

"Yes," Sarah agreed. "She does. It's usually my favorite thing about her."

"Usually?" Jareth asked.

"Yeah. Today the hovering is making me a little crazy." After hesitating a brief moment, Sarah asked, "Would you like to see the garden in the back?" She hoped that Karen would leave them to themselves if she saw that Sarah was continuing the tour herself.

"I would love to see the garden." Smiling, he turned toward the door and waiting for her to show him the way.

Leading him through the hallway, past the kitchen, and into the dining room, Sarah opened the sliding glass doors and pointed to the small flowerbed Karen maintained in the far corner of the yard. Taking Jareth's hand in hers, she led him towards it and entertained him with stories of how she and her brother had driven her stepmother to distraction over the years through tampering with her garden.

"Oh! Just a few weeks ago, I came home from class and found Karen standing here, red in the face, lecturing Toby about why we don't play with other people's things and how he should always ask permission if he wanted to help in her garden. It turned out that he'd been coming out here everyday, pulling the daisies out to examine their roots. He wanted to see if they were getting enough water."

Jareth laughed at this, although, truthfully, he was much more interested in the expressions dancing across her features than the story she was telling him.

"She had been trying everything she could think of to stop them from dying and couldn't understand why nothing was working!"

"I'm sure she never expected to learn that they were being uprooted on a daily basis," Jareth said, squeezing her hand in his good humor.

Sarah held back a squeak as she realized that she had never released his hand after bringing him to the garden. Slowly removing her hand from Jareth's, she waved it towards the covered, bench-style swing near the side fence, facing the garden, and asked if he'd like to sit outside.

"That sounds like a plan," he answered. "I don't like to waste nice days like today sitting inside."

"So, how'd you get into photography? What made you decide that that's what you'd like to do with your life?" Sarah began. They hadn't really had a chance to get to know each other properly, and Sarah wasn't going to waste their Karen-free time.

"Actually, I don't know," Jareth answered. Looking over at her with a serious expression, he seemed to come to a decision. "It's a long story- one that I'm not sure quite how to explain."

When he didn't continue, Sarah tried to reassure him. "If it's personal, you don't have to explain."

"It's not that. It's just a strange situation. One day, nine years ago, I woke up with no memories of my life before that day. I knew my name, I knew _myself_, I knew what I liked and didn't like, I knew how I like my _eggs_," he said, seeming slightly frustrated, "but I couldn't remember where I lived, what I did for a living, where I came from, or how I came to be where I was."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sarah said, looking upset. Obviously her question had brought up painful memories.

"Don't be upset," Jareth said with a gentle smile. "I've had a long time to get used to the idea."

"I shouldn't have pried," she persisted, looking at her shoes.

"Don't be ridiculous. There was nothing inappropriate about your question." Reaching over, he took her hand in his again and continued. "I was actually trying to determine the best way to tell you." He waited until he caught Sarah's eye and asked, "Does this change anything? Do you want to reconsider your agreement to see me now that you know I have an unknown past?"

"No!" Sarah responded, a bit more vehemently than she had intended. "Why would I hold that against you?"

Jareth seemed relieved at her answer. She hadn't noticed that he looked tense before, but she thought he seemed much more relaxed now.

Her inspection of the palm of his hand complete, Sarah turned Jareth's hand over and examined the back of it. She didn't know why, but she had the most undeniable urge to study every detail of his hands- the long fingers, the neat nails, the creases under his knuckles. Maybe it was the need to escape the intensity of his gaze; maybe it was because she was simply entranced by him. She suspected it was a mix of the two. Suddenly conscious of the fact that she was tracing the lines on his palm with her fingertips, she stilled her hand and resumed their conversation.

"So you don't know anything about who you were before?"

Sarah's attentions were distracting Jareth. Her seeming fascination with his hands was intriguing. She probably wasn't even aware that she was doing it, her mind busy processing what he was telling her. Still, he found himself resisting the urge to bring her hand to his lips to see what her reaction would be. Clearing his mind, hoping that she thought he had merely been collecting his thoughts, he continued.

"Investigations were made, of course," Jareth told her. "I know who I am, and where I was born. I know what I did with my life before that day. I just don't _remember_ any of it." Leaning back, he continued. "There was no apparent cause. I had no physical trauma and didn't appear distressed." Laughing quietly, he qualified that remark. "Well, not _unduly_ distressed anyway."

"How strange." Sarah regarded him carefully before continuing. "Didn't you have any family who could help you remember?"

"It seems that I do not have any surviving relatives," he said, looking out in the distance, over the roofs of the neighboring houses. "None turned up in the investigations, and no missing persons cases matched me, in any case."

Sarah patted Jareth's hand and said, "It must have been awful to find yourself all alone in the world. I'm sorry."

"I've never felt alone, oddly enough. I was certainly bewildered in the beginning, but my life since then has been a very pleasant one, all in all. Especially now," he said teasingly, tilting his head to get a better look at her. "I'm sure I must have led a dull life, or I would have remembered it."

Sarah laughed, relieved that he seemed to have accepted things as they were. "Somehow I doubt that. I'm glad you're happy with how things have turned out, though." She admired his positive attitude. "How long has it been?"

"Nine years," Jareth replied.

"Nine years?" Sarah thought about that for a moment. Meeting his eyes, feeling sympathy for him, she said, "You were so young when it happened."

"Not so very young," he answered, raising an eyebrow as if to challenge her to ask.

"Really," Sarah said, deciding to take the bait. "And how old _are_ you?"

"Forty-six." Jareth said.

Sarah took a moment to let that sink in. He was a bit closer to her father's age than she would have liked, but was by no means past his prime. _Especially judging by his looks_, she thought, careful not to look him over while he was watching her for her reaction..

_Hmm. No response_, he thought. "Is my age a problem for you?" Jareth asked defensively.

"No!" Sarah laughed. "It was obvious that you were quite a bit older than me when we met. It didn't bother me then, and it doesn't bother me now." She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing again. She would never have pegged him as self-conscious about his age, but it seemed he was, a bit.

"You make me sound like an old man!" he exclaimed, glaring playfully at her.

"Then don't talk like an old man," she scolded. "I'm twenty-one, you know. Does that bother you?" Her tone was light, but she really was concerned that it might be an issue for him, especially after their last exchange.

"Not in the least," Jareth replied flirtatiously. His eyes gave away his thoughts, and she felt her insides dance as her own thoughts changed course, matching the direction his went.

"Well… back to my original question… Do you enjoy your work? I have the feeling that you really do." There. That was a nice, safe topic.

"I do enjoy it. It seems that we're all here such a short time. I want to see everything I can before my time here is up. There are so many amazing sights to see. People seem to enjoy complaining about how boring they find their lives, but if they would only open their eyes and look at the world around them, they would see how much there really is here. We are surrounded by beauty, if we would only allow ourselves to see it."

Sarah was unable to maintain eye contact for long. Something told her he was talking about more than just desert sunsets and wildlife at this moment. Looking back to the house, she saw that Toby was approaching the door, seemingly intent on joining them. She shyly pulled her hand away from Jareth's and rose to meet her younger brother. Jareth, sensing that the moment was over, stood to join them.

Toby ran across the yard and, panting, informed Sarah that Karen needed help setting up the dining room. Coincidentally, Sarah's father had just arrived and was waiting in the den to meet Jareth. Resigning herself to an evening of mortification, Sarah led Jareth to the den where she kissed her father and excused herself. Continuing to the kitchen, she coached herself to take a deep breath, grin, and bear it. Next time, she would have him all to herself.

xxx

Once he and Robert Williams had shaken hands, Jareth settled into the chair the other man waved him toward. Judging by the unnecessarily firm grip Robert had used, and the tense way in which he held himself, the man had reservations about Jareth's involvement with his daughter. Remembering that Sarah had told him she had never been dated before, Jareth decided not to be offended- he would give Robert the benefit of the doubt.

"So, Mr. …" Robert began.

"Jones. My full name is Jareth Jones. But Jareth is fine" Smiling benignly, or as near to it as he could manage, he adopted an expression of patient expectation. He would let Robert set the tone for their discourse.

"Yes. Jareth." Lingering over the name, and imparting the impression of slight disapproval at its strangeness, Robert tried to decide how best to continue. He didn't want to be too heavy-handed, but was determined that before their interview was over, Jareth Jones would know that Sarah was valued by her family and was not a girl to be trifled with.

xxx

"So? Out with it! How is it going?" Karen seemed ready to burst with joy. "I think you've chosen a very nice young man, Sarah. I really like him for you."

Sarah tried not to laugh. To hear Karen talk, one would think they were getting married! "Karen, calm down. I've just met him myself! I like him, but it's kind of early for all the excitement."

"Of course, dear," Karen returned. But the irrepressible smile tugging at her lips cast doubt on the sincerity of her words.

Taking a stack of dinner and salad plates from Karen, Sarah busied herself with arranging the place settings. "Sorry I didn't help you finish up in the kitchen. I took Jareth out back to the garden." Chuckling, she met her stepmother's eyes. "I told him about how Toby killed off your daisies."

Karen didn't find it quite as amusing as Sarah did, but she could see the humor in it. "That little scamp has nothing on you, young lady. Did you also tell him about how many summers you trampled my poor flowers hunting for fairies? You were convinced there was a ring of them in there, although I'll never understand why you always seemed to find them lurking in the _back_ of the flowerbed."

A dreamy look made its way to Sarah's eyes. "I'd forgotten all about that. I used to imagine there was one with a tiny, tiny chain of dandelions woven in her hair, and if I could catch her, she would show me the way to her land. I was convinced that they were real." Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the two men standing in the doorway, one facing her stepmother, the other regarding herself as though she were a puzzle.

"Toby said you were ready for us," Robert began, after clearing his throat to gain the two women's attention. "He must be getting hungry." Looking around for the small boy, he was not surprised to find that he was nowhere to be seen. He was probably upstairs washing his hands. He always seemed to remember his manners when he was in danger of a scolding.

"It's fine, Robert. We're nearly done. Seat yourselves. We'll be right back." Ushering Sarah ahead of herself, Karen made her way back to the kitchen to bring out the platters and bowls that were waiting, ready to be served. Catching sight of Toby running down the hall towards the dining room, she waved him to the kitchen as well. The three of them returned after a brief moment bearing bowls, platters, and in Toby's case, a basket of freshly baked dinner rolls.

They had just sat down when Karen popped up again. "Oh dear, I've forgotten the iced tea! I'll just be a moment."

"Sit down and relax, Karen. You've been in the kitchen all afternoon. I'll get it." Sarah left the room to obtain the forgotten drink, and took a moment to compose herself while she was in the kitchen. She sincerely hoped her father was taking this all in stride. Whereas her stepmother had always been overly anxious regarding Sarah's status as a single girl, her father had been content to let the issue lie. He had seemed rather pleased to know that his little girl was 'safe'. She hoped he wouldn't see Jareth as a threat to his baby girl's morality. A mysterious smile graced her lips as she thought to herself just how much of a temptation she found Jareth to be.

xxx

Robert went out to the back yard for his nightly after-dinner cigar, and Karen went with him. It was an understanding of theirs; Robert had given in to Karen's wishes that he only smoke outdoors, and she kept him company while he did so. Toby had been sent upstairs to bed after dessert, and Sarah and Jareth had the family room all to themselves. Sarah was both relieved and wound up at the same time.

Sitting across from Jareth, Sarah sipped her coffee and tried to think of something to say. She had a million things she wanted to ask and talk about, of course, but didn't know where to begin. It was getting late, and Jareth would be going home soon. She supposed she would have to keep things light for now.

Looking up at his face, she noticed the way he was looking at her. His head was tilted a bit to the left, and he was watching her with what appeared to be deep interest. The faint smile on his lips told her that he was pleased by what he was seeing.

"Fairies, Sarah?" he asked, eyebrow rising to meet his hairline.

Heat suffused Sarah's cheeks as she remembered what she had been discussing with Karen just before dinner. "What do you mean?" she asked, embarrassed.

"I heard your stepmother in the dining room. You used to trample her garden hunting for fairies? You didn't mention that this afternoon when you took me out to see it."

"I had forgotten," Sarah said. Damn. The grin spreading across Jareth's mouth annoyed her slightly, as he was clearly enjoying himself at her expense, but the way it caused her stomach tighten overwhelmed the feeling. She wanted to close the distance between them and find out for herself what would happen to the knot in her abdomen if she kissed him, but it was still much too early for that. Raising her eyes back to Jareth's, she noticed that he had been contemplating her lips as well.

_Well. Damn. This is not the time or the place,_ Sarah thought. She was itching to join him on the loveseat he had taken, but decided it was better to stay put for now. Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to remember what they had been discussing.

"I used to be fascinated with fairies. I was sure that there was more to this world than what we can see with our eyes. Sometimes I still wonder," she continued, careful to keep her eyes on her coffee mug. The chemistry between the two of them could certainly not be denied, but surely it was best not to explore it too far in her parents' sitting room -especially not when they were due back in a few minutes.

"If it makes you feel any better, there have been times on assignments when was so tired that I saw things that made me wonder myself." Gesturing to the bookshelf, he added, "Of course, our taste in literature probably has something to do with our overactive imaginations."

Sarah found herself staring at his lips again as he spoke. After a moment, she realized that Jareth had stopped speaking and was apparently waiting for a response. "Probably," she answered. "You have a very nice voice." Smiling at his surprised expression, she laughed. "That sort of came out of nowhere, didn't it?"

Jareth just smiled at her. Taking a sip of his coffee, he studied the girl before him. She was obviously on edge. He'd noticed how she couldn't keep the slightly lustful edge out of her expression when she looked at him. He also noticed that she kept glancing at the doorway as if expecting to find someone there. She must have felt uncomfortable knowing that her parents could return at any time, which gave him a clue as to where her thoughts had turned. Leaning back, he tried to set a more relaxed tone to the conversation.

"I'm glad you think so. I thought the same thing about yours. I especially like your laugh." Nodding his head toward the door, he winked at Sarah and added, "I think your brother likes both of our voices at the moment. He appears to be spying on us."

Sarah looked through the doorway and up to the highest stairs that were visible from her vantage point, and laughed. There she saw two small feet sticking out of orange pajama bottoms, with a yo-yo dangling between them.

"Toby," she called. "What are you doing up there? Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

"Aww, Sarah! It's boring. I want to stay with you guys," he answered as he invited himself to join them. He sat down beside Jareth and craned his neck to see what he was drinking. Satisfied that it was just coffee, and nothing he would be interested in, Toby grinned at Jareth and asked, "You and Sarah?"

Sarah choked on her coffee, though, thankfully, she managed to swallow it all. Whatever she had been expecting her little brother to say, that wasn't it. Why hadn't he gone to sleep?

Composing herself, Sarah admonished her brother, "Toby, your mom sent you to bed a long time ago. She'll be coming back any minute now and if she sees you here, you're going to be in trouble."

Toby didn't seem the least bit phased. He had taken hold of Jareth's free hand and was examining his watch. "She won't do anything to me while Jareth's here. She likes him and won't want to look mean in front of him."

Sarah raised an eyebrow at her brother's audacity. When had he become so conniving? She was about to open her mouth to say something when Jareth's laugh rang out and stopped her.

"I like your style, Toby," Jareth said, eyes dancing merrily.

"Don't encourage him!" Sarah told him. "I don't know when he got so devious." Narrowing her eyes, she went on, "Have you been hanging around that little Mitchell brat?"

Toby gasped, confirming his sister's suspicions.

"If I find out that you're still hanging around him after what happened last time, I'll tell Dad and Karen, and they'll ground you, guests or not."

"No, no! That's ok! Nice to meet you, Jareth!" Toby ran out of the room and back up the stairs as fast as his little legs would carry him, narrowly escaping the notice of his parents, who were now returning.

Jareth rose to meet them before thanking them for the lovely evening and taking his leave. Sarah walked him to the front steps and gave him the umbrella he had forgotten the night before. Their eyes met as he took it from her, and a sense of recognition passed between them.

Sarah felt a warmth spread through her chest as she looked down at him. She felt as if she had been waiting for this moment for so long. She felt almost relieved to see him standing there, searching her eyes to see if she felt what he did. It was an enigma to her, but she was more than willing to solve it.

Watching as Jareth went to his car and started it, and returning his wave as he drove off, Sarah decided to conquer her shyness where he was concerned and face him with everything she had. She had seen enough to know that she and Jareth were on the same wavelength, and she wasn't going to hold anything back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer- All I own of Labyrinth is a DVD. I don't own the rights to the story or characters.**

**A/N: This is not a flashback scene; it's a peek into what brought our leading man and lady to their current situation. Jareth is not dreaming about all of this or remembering any of it just yet. **

**xxx**

_6 years ago…_

Jareth steadied himself before approaching his sister's apartments. He knew she was going to make things difficult for him, but it couldn't be helped. She was the only person he could trust to ask this, and he would do whatever she demanded. She was a giving, loving sister, but she could be a real thorn in his side when she felt it was the right thing to do. He rather hoped she was feeling generous tonight.

Jareth had just raised his hand to knock at the door when it opened, and his laughing sister, followed by a friend he recognized, but didn't know by name, stopped to look at him in surprise, and in his sister's case, concern. Aliyah gave her friend a significant look, before ushering Jareth into her small anteroom. Noticing that he refused to make eye contact, Aliyah wondered what had happened. She had never seen Jareth looking so poorly or so… hopeless.

Taking him by the hand, she tried to meet his eyes, but he turned his face away from hers. Hurt, Aliyah looked down and silently led Jareth to a plush, moss colored settee. On seeing it, Jareth laughed humorlessly. He had never paid much attention to his sister's choice in décor, but, looking around at the forest themed color scheme, he realized that he'd never really be comfortable in the room again. The fabric was so near the shade of the eyes that were burned into his mind that he felt the universe was playing a very cruel joke on him now. Sitting heavily, he leaned back and closed his eyes.

Aliyah was growing more and more concerned by the moment. She had no idea what had brought her brother to this, and was frustrated by his silence. She had almost convinced herself to pry the information out of him, when Jareth opened his mouth to speak. He closed it again, opened his eyes to look thoughtfully at her, and then looked away again.

"Jareth, you're frightening me," Aliyah began. "What's happened?"

"Nothing I don't deserve, I'm sure." Jareth looked her in the eye before continuing. "She came and then left." He sighed morosely, and went on. "She was the one, Aliyah. I'm sure of it."

Aliyah laughed on hearing this. "The one _what_, Jareth? I'm sure she was very beautiful, whoever she was, but why are you so despondent? You've never had trouble finding agreeable female company, and I don't recall hearing that you were involved with anyone recently."

"You don't understand, Aliyah." Jareth considered how to explain. Of course she wouldn't understand. "There was a challenger to the Labyrinth today. She was my Destined, Aliyah. And I ruined everything!" Jareth began to pace the small room as Aliyah looked on, concerned. "I toyed with her, teased her, let her believe that I would turn her wished-away brother into a goblin..." Cursing his short-sightedness, Jareth roughly ran his fingers through his wild hair.

Aliyah snorted. "A _goblin,_ Jareth? Well, that's original; I'll give you credit for that."

"I haven't told you this for your entertainment, Ali!" Jareth was beginning to lose his patience at his sister's attitude. "I need your help."

Aliyah's eyebrows drew together as she considered Jareth's words. "What do you need my help with? If she is your Fated, as you believe, then you will be reunited with her sooner or later. And if she is not, I can do nothing to help you."

"Aliyah, she has already _been_ brought to me! Instead of using the opportunity to my advantage, I wasted it! She believed me to be a child-stealing monster who transforms sweet, if annoying, babies into goblins!" Jareth paused and stopped before Aliyah, looked beseechingly into her eyes, and took her hand into his. More gently, he went on, "She said the words when she reached the castle, Ali. There is no hope that I will ever see her again."

"Jareth, you don't understand, dear." Aliyah began, mercy for her brother coloring her words. "She will call you to her if she is meant for you. There is no need for this torment you are inflicting upon yourself. Calm yourself, go home and rest, and trust that your fate will work itself out." She looked more closely at Jareth and noticed how fatigued he seemed to be. He was frighteningly pale, and his eyes seemed lifeless compared to the way they usually shone and danced with mischief. "What happened to you? You look like hell, Jareth."

Raising his eyebrows at his usually proper sister's language, Jareth smiled slightly. "After she reached the castle, I led her to the stair room. I thought that Toby, the child, could play while we talked. I had finally realized my mistake, but it was too late."

When Jareth paused, Aliyah gently squeezed his hand, encouraging him to continue.

Thoughlessly studying the elegantly carved molding bordering the ceiling, Jareth said, "I had decided to put things right. I was going to explain everything to her and ask her to stay with me. Then she arrived, and looked at me with such scorn that I lost my temper and made the situation worse. As if things weren't already hopeless enough!" Shifting impatiently and losing himself in the memory, Jareth narrated the rest of his tale. "She thought that it was simply another stage in her challenge, and foolishly I did nothing to cause her to believe otherwise. She searched the room for her brother while I wasted the last few minutes she had here trying to think of how to stop her. My damned pride held me back from simply telling her the truth."

Aliyah was dumbfounded. Jareth had never in his life admitted to being inordinately proud. He knew he was prideful, of course, but took it in stride, seeing it as his perfect right- something due to him because of his station. She mused that he must really care about the girl.

An indulgent smile graced Jareth's lips as he recalled Sarah's daring actions in the stair room. "She must have felt that her time was drawing to an end. She ran frantically up and down the stairs in pursuit of her brother. She came to a stop as she finally neared him. The boy was sitting on the floor playing with one of my crystals a level below Sarah." Jareth returned his gaze to his sister. "She _jumped_, Aliyah."

Aliyah gasped when she heard what the girl had done. "I cannot return her from the dead, Jareth! You ask too much of me!" Rising to her feet and dropping Jareth's hand, she began to pace the perimeter of the room. "I'm sorry that you lost her, and I'm sure she was a lovely girl, but you know that this is impossible."

Jareth's rich laughter stopped Aliyah's ranting. "She isn't dead, Aliyah. She is quite safe, back in her room, celebrating her victory with several of my subjects as we speak." Looking over to the timepiece over the mantle, he reconsidered. "Perhaps the festivities are over now."

"How?" Aliyah couldn't fathom how anyone could have survived a fall in that room. The place had always made her nervous, and after her first tour, Aliyah had never again entered it.

"I literally pulled the room apart at the seams to create enough space between her and the bottom that there would be enough time to slow her descent." Jareth felt bitter thinking of their final encounter. "She never realized what had happened. The foolish girl probably thinks it's a feature of the room!"

Aliyah was speechless. Perhaps her brother did love the girl, after all. Of course, he would never allow any harm to come to any challenger in his care, but Jareth could have caused serious harm to himself with that stunt.

The scowl returned to Jareth's face as he remembered what had happened next. "I joined her after she landed, and asked her to stay." He couldn't bring himself to tell her exactly what had transpired between the two of them. The hurt was too fresh, and his pride would not have allowed it any case. "She refused, no doubt believing it to be a trick. She rejected my having any power over her. I can never contact her," Jareth said dejectedly. "If only we had met under different circumstances; if only she had been older. If only…" He laughed bitterly in the face of his despair. He hadn't though a teenage brat would be able to bring him to this point, courageous dreamer or not. As he reconsidered, he knew that it wasn't completely due to the girl who had stood before him; he despaired over the loss of the woman she would soon grow into. "She will be a truly remarkable woman one day," Jareth said softly.

"What do you want me to do, Jareth?" Aliyah was now convinced of her brother's sincerity. She was not, however, convinced that he knew what he needed.

"I need you to help me fix this. Obviously, I can't contact her myself. I don't trust anyone else to help me with this. Can you break the spell? Could you speak to her?"

Aliyah debated with herself over what she would do. Should she help him? She had already explained that if he was correct, he needed no help, and that he was only bringing suffering on himself if he was wrong.

"Does this girl have a name?" Aliyah stood before Jareth, watching his response. She would do nothing without being convinced of his good faith.

Jareth smiled and visibly relaxed. "Her name is Sarah."

"Show her to me."

Jareth summoned a crystal to his hand and showed Aliyah the image of the girl he was trying to win.

Aliyah looked from her brother to the crystal, then back to her brother. Confused, she returned her eyes to the crystal. Was she missing something? Inside, she saw a beautiful, dark-haired girl, a quite young girl, dancing with a dwarf she vaguely recognized and throwing confetti at a firey hanging from a canopy over a small bed. Looking back to her brother, she was startled by the fond smile upon his lips. Disturbed, Aliyah turned away from Jareth and walked along the far wall.

"Will you help me?" Jareth was bewildered by Aliyah's strange behavior, and began to doubt her willingness to approach Sarah on his behalf.

"Jareth, she's a child."

"She's nearly grown." He returned, slightly defensively. "Will you help me?"

"I will not help you take advantage of an innocent young girl, Jareth!"

Jareth was highly offended by this. "Do you think me so low, Ali?" He couldn't quite mask the hurt in his voice.

"Jareth, I love you. You've been my best friend since we were children, and you know that. I would help you with anything that I thought would benefit you. But I have seen how lightly you take your women. You have never been serious about any of them, and you hurt them with your carelessness. I won't be a part of this!" Aliyah crossed her arms across her chest and waited for his angry response. It never came.

"Ali, I want to _marry_ her. I don't take this girl lightly. I love her."

"How could you possibly?" Aliyah asked, exasperated by her brother's insistence. "How long have you known her? A day? And- she's a child!"

"Don't exaggerate. Sarah is not a child. She is physically mature. She acts immature at times, but that will soon take care of itself." Jareth looked a bit sheepish as he admitted his acquaintance with the girl in question. "I've known of her for some time now. I used to hear her reading my story, and stopped to listen to her from time to time. I know her better than you may think."

"Even so, you can't tell me that the girl dancing around with your gatekeeper is ready for marriage and all that comes with it. Does she look like she's ready to be a wife or a mother to you, Jareth?"

"I didn't mean to drag her back to my castle and force her into that right now, Ali! What do you think of me?"

"I think that you've shocked me today, Jareth, on several levels." Aliyah began to calm down as she realized that her brother had not quite lost his mind yet. "I'm sorry if I've offended you; I'm just surprised to find that this Sarah of yours is still so young. And, you must admit that you've never been a very patient man." She looked rather pointedly at Jareth as she said the last part.

"Point taken," Jareth said with an amused smile.

"Let me think this over. There are many things to consider, and many possible ways of trying to remedy the situation, _if_ I decide to involve myself." Aliyah waited until Jareth looked suitable sober before continuing. "I will want to meet her first, of course."

Jareth hoped he didn't look as alarmed as he felt. "Of course." Sensing that Aliyah had said all she was going to for the time being, Jareth stood up, and prepared to leave. "Thank you, Ali." He bent to kiss his sister's cheek, and she softened as he knew she would.

"You're completely shameless, Jareth. First you disappear all that time, and then you return with your 'Ali's and your kisses, all the while begging for favors." Aliyah's playful tone belied her harsh words. "I will do this my way, you know, if I decide to help you."

"I know," Jareth sighed wearily.

"Good." Aliyah grinned as she pushed Jareth back on the settee. "Now rest. I'm going to see where Susanne has run off to."

Too spent to argue, Jareth took his sister's advice and returned to his place on the settee. He settled back against the deceptively comfortable seat, and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

xxx

After Jareth returned to the Goblin City the next morning, Aliyah decided to check in on the girl who had humbled her dear brother to the point of seeking her help. She was still dumbfounded by the fact that her brother had actually sought her out for this. He knew that it would mean leaving the situation entirely in her control. She had never believed in nor tolerated letting others interfere in her work. She either did things her way or disengaged herself from the project altogether.

Reaching for the crystal Jareth had left behind, she wondered where this morning would find the mysterious Sarah. Who was this girl that was capable of the impossible? Bringing the globe closer to her face, she peered in and found Sarah sitting with her back against a column writing something in what appeared to be a journal of some sort, with a distant expression in her eyes. Aliyah couldn't decipher the girl's mood. She was pensive, certainly. But was she pleased, melancholy, hopeful, annoyed? It was impossible to tell; Sarah's expression seemed to shift ever so slightly each time Aliyah decided that she had figured it out.

Aliyah willed the scene to shift so that she could see what the girl was writing, and was given a view of the scenery surrounding her. She seemed to be in a wood of some sort; there were no buildings or people around her, it seemed. That would make it easier to stop in for a visit. As the scene settled on the small notepad propped up on Sarah's knee, an incredulous smile crept over Aliyah's visage.

"Well, what do you know," she said in a low voice, barely more than a whisper. "This certainly does make things more _interesting_."

xxx

Sarah put her pencil aside and leaned her head against the pillar at her back. She was physically and mentally exhausted today. Her trek through the labyrinth the day before had first left her anxious and filled with nervous energy. She was still terrified of the man who had taken her there- terrified that he would reappear and inform her that she hadn't really won, that she was to lose her baby brother after all. She had celebrated far too long into the night and hadn't been able to sleep in that morning. Sarah had awoken with a need to reassure herself that Toby really was safe in his bed.

And after everything, she found that she had developed a sort of sick fascination with the dark, cruel Goblin King. Oh, how she wished she could be ashamed of herself for her twisted infatuation with him. He had technically kidnapped her brother, after all. But as she considered his words to her in the weird room that had been filled with stairs leading into impossible directions, she had to admit that he had had a point. He had been trying to trick her into losing, of course, but he had told the truth in one thing at least- she had literally asked for the whole thing! First she had wished for him to 'take the child far away' from her. Then she had begged for him to be returned to her. She had gotten everything she had asked for.

Well, not quite _everything_- her first wish had been for someone to take her away from the 'awful' place she called her home. She was glad now that the wish had been granted only partially. She had meant for that to be permanent, and not the few hours it had turned out to be. Sarah had a feeling she would have regretted having that wish granted as it was intended. If anything good had come from the whole catastrophe, it was that she had finally realized how much she really loved her family.

It wasn't quite enough to make her stop wishing that the Goblin King had meant his words when he begged her to stay with him, though. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as she remembered his expression, his tone of voice, and the way he had held the crystal out to her as he pleaded with her to love him. If only he had really meant it! But of course he hadn't; he was only using her dreams against her. He must have seen them to be able to offer them to her. She herself had seen glimpses of them in the softly glowing orb in his outstretched hand. He must have known how often she had read the book about him, how often she had imagined what he would have been like.

To have found out that he really did exist twisted her insides in confusing ways. Her favorite villain was real- alive and standing in front of her disbelieving eyes- but he had turned out to be her opponent! The irony of it was incredible.

Sarah supposed she should just take her lesson from the experience and be grateful for it. Maybe after enough time had passed she would overcome the nagging feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She had the most awful feeling that things had been left unfinished. Something was wrong with the way things had ended. She wouldn't allow herself to think that he may have been sincere- that she had been meant to accept his plea. Toby would have paid the price for a self-serving action like that, and that was unacceptable. Not to mention that the Goblin King hadn't really meant any of it.

Sarah glanced down in disgust at the page on her knee. It was covered in '_J_'s and doodles of crystal balls. She truly was pathetic. How he would have laughed if he could see her now. The thing vexed her, and so she angrily tossed it to her side.

The yelp that followed startled Sarah. She turned toward the sound and saw a very beautiful, willowy brunette standing beside her, bending to take up the notepad. She looked somewhat amused by what she had found written on it, which confirmed Sarah's complete mortification. She was sure that the woman knew the significance of her scribblings.

With a bashful, "Sorry," Sarah reached for the notepad, prepared to run all the way home immediately afterwards. Half afraid that the woman had come to inform her that her victory had been a mistake, Sarah did not want to stand around to hear whatever she had to say.

The strange woman must have seen Sarah's fears in her expression, for she said, "Sarah, do not be alarmed. I am only here to speak with you; nothing more."

Sarah wanted to laugh at the woman's choice of words. If she hadn't looked so much like the Goblin King and known Sarah's name, her words would have given away the fact that must know each other. Sarah thought that they must surely be related. The otherworldly woman was very thin, but not at all gaunt. Her eyes were the same lovely shade of blue as the Goblin King's, although they were identical to each other. Branches swayed overhead in the slight breeze, allowing the light to play with the shades of her smooth hair. It appeared at one moment to be a soft, light brown, the next a dark blond. She was Sarah's height, which made Sarah feel slightly less intimidated than she otherwise would have been.

Sarah cast a doubtful glance at the woman before asking, "What do you want to talk to me about?"

xxx

**AN2: This chapter's a bit shorter than the last couple were, but this seemed a**

**good place to end it. So what do you guys think: should the next chapter pick up where we left Sarah and Jareth last time, or do you want to know what Aliyah and Sarah talked about first? I haven't decided which to do first, so I'm up to suggestions. **

**~AW**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer- All I own of Labyrinth is a DVD. I don't own the rights to the story or characters.**

**AN: I'm sorry it's taken so long to finish this chapter! Real life has been crazy, but that's normal. LOL! Thank you to everyone who's following and reviewing, and especially witchnova and Athena's Avatar for their detailed input. **

Aliyah looked Sarah over as she decided how far to take this conversation. Sarah was definitely caught between girlhood and womanhood, and couldn't justly be placed in one category over the other just yet. Her open, bold expression gave her an air of innocence that seemed to suggest that perhaps she should still be considered a child. On the other hand, she was, as Jareth had said, physically mature. There was an intelligence in her eyes that made one suspect that perhaps she might be mentally mature as well. And her pastime of scribbling Jareth's initial all over the page she had been writing on suggested that perhaps she was old enough to consider his offer. Yes, the 'J' could have meant anything by itself. But the crystal balls- those left no doubt as to who had been on her mind.

"I've come to talk with you about what happened yesterday, Sarah," Aliyah began.

Sarah swallowed nervously. So many things had happened yesterday. What had happened that would bring this woman to her now, after she had already returned home? Had she unknowingly broken laws? Had she missed something she was supposed to do? _Oh no!_ thought Sarah. Had she done something to the Goblin King? He had looked terrible when she left him. Had she hurt him? He had changed into a bird at the end of their confrontation. Had she accidentally put a curse on him to keep him that way? Everything else that had happened had come straight out of a fairytale. She guessed that it was possible. Sarah cautiously raised her eyes back to Aliyah's, trying to gauge her mood. She didn't _appear_ to be upset about anything.

"A lot of things happened yesterday," Sarah began. "Which part did you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to discuss the last part, actually," Aliyah answered.

Sarah paled. "The last thing that happened was that I won, the Goblin King turned into some kind of bird, and I came home."

"Not quite, Sarah," Aliyah responded seriously. "You had won some time before that."

Sarah took a moment to let that sink in. She had already won? When had that- ?

"_You have thirteen hours in which to solve the labyrinth…"_

_Oh. My. God_, Sarah thought. She had already won when he made his offer! She must have won when she reached the castle- maybe even when she entered the city. He hadn't been trying to trick her after all. Or had he? Sarah's forehead wrinkled as she tried to work through her thoughts. She had no reason to trust him. He was certainly fascinating, and she had had to hold her breath the few times he had come near her, but she really knew nothing about him except that he had been a complete jerk the entire way through. _Well, except for the ballroom dream, but that didn't count, _Sarah thought_._ Even then, he had had those gross women hanging all over him, and he hadn't tried to get them off. Sarah's stomach turned at the memory.

No, he hadn't been Prince Charming at all. And yet, she wished she could be sure that he had meant it. She couldn't have accepted, of course, even if he had been sincere- whether or not Toby's life had been hanging in the balance. She was far too young to even consider it. At fifteen, she wasn't ready for all that his, _"Fear me; love me; do as I say"_ had implied- not that she hadn't been tempted. Maybe, under different circumstances… if she had been a few years older… if she had been sure it was a genuine offer…

_Snap out of it, Sarah! _Shaking her head slightly, Sarah brought herself back to the present, and gestured to a nearby park bench, indicating that Aliyah should join her there. Aliyah followed behind Sarah, wondering what the young lady thought of this new information.

Sarah hadn't said anything yet, but her expressive face had given a few clues to her thoughts. What Aliyah had seen there had been encouraging. Shock, disbelief, confusion, and suspicion- those she had been expecting. The longing she had seen, she could not have hoped for. So the girl _had_ been tempted. Maybe Jareth really was on to something here. While he had had a chance to 'get to know' Sarah from afar, she hadn't had the same opportunity. Of course she would be wary of any romantic overtures from a man so much older (if she only knew!) than herself, and she knew nothing about him that would make her inclined to accept him, except that he was a king. The fact that that hadn't turned her head was encouraging as well. Sarah had though that she was being asked to choose between her baby brother's future and a chance to live at the side of a powerful king, and she had done what she believed to be right. Aliyah had to hand it to Jareth- after many long years of refusing to make attachments, when he had finally chosen, he had chosen well.

Seeing how unnerved Sarah was, Aliyah placed a calming spell on her. The girl would never open up to her if she remained wary and anxious. She didn't intend to place any enchantments on the girl, just to ensure that she would get the answers she needed.

Sarah sat on the bench and waited until Aliyah did the same. Realizing that the strange woman still hadn't introduced herself, she asked, "Who, exactly, are you, and how do you know what my name is, or what happened yesterday?"

"I'm Aliyah, sister of Jareth, the Goblin King," Aliyah responded. "I'm here because my brother has asked a favor of me, and I wanted to meet you before deciding whether I will grant it."

Sarah felt panic rise in her breast as she wondered exactly what kind of 'favor' the Goblin King as requested, and what it had to do with her.

"There is no need for you to fear for yourself or your brother," Aliyah assured her, seeing her distress. "You and your brother are both perfectly safe, and your victory is not being challenged." Reaching out to touch Sarah's arm, she sent more peaceful, calming energy into her.

Afraid to completely drop her guard, Sarah decided to proceed cautiously. "Then why are you here now?" Taking a deep breath, she made her case. "I made a stupid wish- which I wasn't expecting to be granted- and I learned my lesson. I'll never make that mistake again, that's for sure."

"All of that is correct, I'm sure. Still, do you perhaps feel that some things were not quite left off the way they should have been? Was there anything that seemed as if…?" Aliyah trailed off, noticing Sarah's deepening blush. It seemed as if she had struck a nerve.

"I don't know," Sarah mumbled. "What do you mean?"

"Sarah," Aliyah began, getting to the heart of the matter. "My brother tells me that he offered himself to you before you returned home last night. You refused him."

Sarah held her breath as she tried to think of a way to respond to this. Aliyah certainly didn't like beating around the bush! Licking her lips nervously, Sarah began to answer. "Well, of course I refused! I thought he was trying to make me forget about Toby again, like he did with that peach. I didn't know I had already won- he never told me that! I had just finished chasing Toby up and down all these crazy stairs that go nowhere, and when I finally almost had him, the whole room flew apart and my brother disappeared. I thought that was, like, the final test- that I had to refuse my dreams to win my brother."

Aliyah quirked her eyebrow when Sarah equated Jareth with her dreams- that certainly was telling. Sarah fought the urge to bury her face in her hands when she realized what she had said- and what it implied. She really needed to learn to think before speaking!

"So, Sarah, you refused my brother because you thought it was a test? Not because of any objection to him personally?" Aliyah continued.

Sarah wished that a hole would open up under the bench and swallow her. _No- I didn't make a wish!_ Sarah screamed internally to herself a bit hysterically. "I don't really know anything about your brother, Aliyah. I know that he took my brother after I explained that I didn't mean my wish, I know that he forced me to go through his dangerous labyrinth, he made fun of me, took time from me, chased me down the tunnels with his _cleaners_, had my friend give me a funky peach that wiped out my memories, sent an_ army_ after me to stop me from getting to his castle, and then made me play an insane game of hide-and-seek before giving my brother back to me and sending me home." Sarah stopped to catch her breath and regain her composure.

Aliyah sighed deeply and muttered under her breath. "Why didn't you just pull her hair, too, Jareth?"

Sarah's eyebrows shot up when she heard that- did Aliyah mean what she thought she meant?

Aliyah turned in her place to face Sarah directly before asking her last question. "Was there any part of you that wanted to accept?"

Sarah laughed at this question. "I though that was the whole point. The test wouldn't mean anything otherwise." Sarah furrowed her brows as she thought of what she had just learned. "But now you're telling me that it wasn't really a test. I don't know what to think now. Anyway, I'm fifteen. It's not like I could have accepted an offer like that anyway, whether I wanted to or not."

Quietly, Aliyah said, "Perhaps under different circumstances… As you said, the timing was inappropriate, and you are very young." Seeing Sarah nod distractedly, Aliyah felt that she has learned everything she needed from this encounter. Rising to her feet, she held out a hand to Sarah and helped her to stand. Smiling at the girl she had come to like, she pulled her into an embrace.

Sarah shyly returned the hug. Here was a fairytale princess- or maybe she was a queen? - giving her a hug like they were close friends. Pulling back to look at Aliyah's face, she smiled at the affectionate expression she found there.

"Before I leave you, let me give you a bit of advice, Sarah," Aliyah said. "You are a very special girl. You're smart; you're beautiful; you have a good heart. I might have liked to see you accept Jareth, but I didn't come here today to convince you to do so. I'm sure my brother won't be the last to fall victim to your charms, but," she laughed at Sarah's incredulous expression, "I hope you will be discriminating in your choices. Don't waste your attentions on those who do not deserve them. One day, Sarah, you will meet someone who does deserve you, and you should be prepared for them." Raising her hand to caress Sarah's cheek, Aliyah concluded her thoughts. "When you meet the one who was meant for you, you will know it! Don't settle for anything less, dear girl. Remember that."

Aliyah leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on Sarah's forehead before taking her leave. Sarah's eyes slid closed at the touch, and a feeling of contentment and well being flooded her. She stood like that for a long moment, enjoying the feeling of being completely centered, before opening her eyes again.

Sarah smiled to herself, took a deep breath, and allowed her gaze to sweep across the empty park. How she loved these lazy afternoons, spending time alone in the park, free to daydream with no distractions.

She looked up at the clock tower and realized that it was time to go home. Relieved that she wasn't late yet, - she didn't want a repeat of last night's argument with Karen- she gathered up her things and prepared to return home. Sarah paused as she noticed what she had been doodling. _How strange,_ she thought. What on earth had she been thinking about when she had drawn bubbles and J's all over her book? Laughing, she closed the notebook and headed home.

xxx

Jareth paced back and forth in his throne room, waiting for Aliyah to return with news of Sarah. Had she convinced her to accept him? Had the girl thrown a screaming tantrum and refused to speak with her? Had she laughed at him, realizing that he had been sincere in his offer?

Scowling, Jareth distractedly watched his subjects as they caused their usual mischief. He didn't even have the heart to kick the ragged goblin currently trying to teach a particularly fussy chicken to sit upon his throne. Such stupidity would usually have the unfortunate goblin flying across the room, but not today.

He half-heartedly smiled as he imagined Aliyah's reaction when she came to relay the news of the day to him. She had always scolded him for confining the 'poor things' to the Goblin City, but he could well imagine the chaos that would ensue if the let the creatures loose on the rest of the land. Of course, she had no taste for them herself, and was not volunteering to take them out into the world to see all of the opportunities for the glorious havoc they could cause there herself. _Maybe one of them will set her shoes on fire again_, he thought with a wicked grin. _She would deserve it, too, the way she's abusing her power today._

Jareth formed a crystal and attempted- again- to see how Aliyah's meeting with Sarah was going. Once again, all that he could see was cloudy nothingness. Aliyah obviously didn't intend for him to be privy to their discussion. _One day, I'll get my chance to turn her tricks around on her, and how I will enjoy it, _he thought with a scowl. Stalking over to his throne, he threw himself into the seat as the temperamental hen evacuated it.

He had known that Aliyah would have to do things her own way, but this was unbearable. At the very least, she could have left the channels open! He would never interfere in as delicate an operation as this, but the suspense was getting to him and causing the most uncomfortable feelings to rise in his breast. Jareth was well-known for his… self-confidence… and this new sense of uncertainty, of doubt in himself, was unsettling.

As Jareth sat contemplating his sense of self, a crystal materialized directly in front his face with a cheerful _pop_. He hated it when Aliyah used that particular method of communication. She knew that well, of course, which is why she enjoyed it above any other means. Grasping the crystal impatiently, he peered inside to see his sister waiting serenely in her sitting room as if she had not a care in the world.

"Well," he asked, "What happened?"

"I think it would better for you to come here to discuss it, Jareth," she responded.

Bitter apprehension rose in Jareth's throat as he imagined all of the ways in which the interview could have been a disaster. "Was she unwilling to meet with you? Did she refuse to talk to you?"

Aliyah rolled her eyes and said, "Just get yourself over here as quickly as you're able."

With that, she closed the connection between them.

xxx

Jareth appeared before his sister more quickly than she had expected. He was clearly agitated, and started pacing as soon as he arrived. Aliyah sighed. Her brother was obviously preoccupied with his thoughts, and she wanted his full attention for what she had to say.

"Sit down, Jareth. You can pace any other time you choose; right now I need you to listen to what I'm saying." Aliyah stood up, took Jareth by his shoulders, and led him to a chair, and she gently pushed him down to sit in it.

Jareth was a bit surprised by his sister's actions, but cooperated without complaint. She had asked him to listen; he wanted nothing more than to hear what had taken place that day, and to learn of her decision. He watched silently as Aliyah walked the perimeter of the room, lowering his eyes to his boots as she passed behind him. He yelped and jumped up to his feet as he felt the sharp sting of his sister's hand smacking his neck.

"You didn't tell her that she had won?" Aliyah asked, her voice raised in annoyance. "What is wrong with you?"

Jareth narrowed his eyes at Aliyah as he rubbed his neck. "Try that again, and I really will have you doing laps in the bog, Aliyah," he boomed at her. How did Sarah manage to make friends so easily, and turn those friends against him?

"You would throw _yourself_ in the bog if you knew what a bungling idiot you were, Jareth," Aliyah returned. "Do you know why Sarah refused you?" Aliyah crossed her arms across her chest and raised her chin as she waited for her brother's inevitable question.

"Why?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

"She refused you, dear brother, because she thought it was a final test. She thought that she had to reject her _dreams _to win the game- to keep her brother." Aliyah's expression softened as she recognized the anguished comprehension making its way across her brother's features.

Jareth felt the fire leave him as he realized what he had lost and acknowledged that he had no one to blame but himself. Had he been Sarah's dream? Had she really wanted him and rejected him because he had neglected to tell her that her victory had already been achieved? That had truly been an error. He had not thought that she would think his proposal was her last challenge. Jareth fell bonelessly onto the chair he had just left, and covered his face with his hands. Any hope he had secretly harbored that Aliyah would bring good news back to him was given up.

"I have my answer then, I suppose." Jareth sighed, resigned to his fate for the moment. He had hoped that Aliyah would return and inform him that there had been some misunderstanding, -which had turned out to be true- and that Sarah had agreed to give him another chance. Aliyah's anger and frustration showed him that that would not be happening.

"Not fully," Aliyah answered. She walked around to face Jareth and took one of his hands from his face, and held it comfortingly between her own. "You're not paying attention, Jare-bear." She laughed at his grimace. He had always hated it when she called him that, and she was pleased to see any emotion other than misery on his face, given the circumstances. "When she refused you, it wasn't entirely personal. She didn't realize that she was refusing you, Jareth, not the man that you are. She thought she was rejecting her dreams, her desires. Think of the implications of that." She reached out with one hand and lifted his chin, forcing him to meet her eyes. "You didn't see her when she gave me her version of yesterday's events- not for lack of trying," she winked at him. "Sarah turned bright red any time she mentioned you, and her reasons for rejecting you were all circumstantial. I won't repeat all of your mistakes back to you, -and I'm absolutely dying to know what she meant when she mentioned a 'funky' peach-" Aliyah broke off and puzzled over the smile playing across her brother's lips. "Well, another time, then. In any case, she realizes that she's too young right now, and while you have watching her, she doesn't know you."

"So, are you telling me that I have a chance to win her, or are you trying to tell me the reasons that I _don't_ have a chance in the kindest way possible?" Jareth searched his sister's face for clues as to what she was about to say, his heart skittering nervously.

"I'm trying to impress upon you the foolishness of using goblin tricks on girls you're interested in courting," Aliyah smiled at her brother's chagrined smirk. "But before I make my decision, Jareth, there's one thing I have to ask you." Aliyah said. "You say that you've observed the girl long enough to be certain that she's your fated. Answer this: Do you love her?" She narrowed her eyes slightly, emphasizing the importance of his honesty in this matter. His answer and his sincerity would decide her actions from this point forward.

"Honestly," Jareth answered, "I don't know. She fascinates me. I have sat in the freezing cold, _in trees_, for hours at a time," he had the decency to look sheepish as he admitted this, "just watching her. She's still young. I don't know that we're meant to be together just yet, but I know that we _are_ meant for each other." Jareth considered the matter further, and made his final comment on the subject. "I will love her."

"I can give you the second chance you're so desperate for, Jareth, but you know that I will do it in my way. Do you agree to give me the power over you that is necessary to bring my plan to fruition?" Aliyah waited for Jareth to decide.

"_Only_ the power necessary?" he asked, steel in his voice.

"Where would the fun be in that?" Aliyah asked, winking playfully. "Do you trust me?" she asked, more seriously this time.

"Yes. I trust you." Jareth sighed. "Don't make me regret it," he warned her warily.

"Well, then," Aliyah said, with an enigmatic gleam in her eyes. "I know what I need to do."

**AN2: The next chapter will be about Sarah and Jareth's first real date. Writing Sarah/Jareth fluff is more fun, but I think I like Aliyah. What do you guys think of her?**


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